Lenovo Announces New ThinkPad Edge Laptops for 2012

Lenovo plans to bring consumer laptop style and friendly features to serious business notebooks in 2012 with the new and improved ThinkPad Edge laptops. Just in time for the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Lenovo calls its new strategy “Lifestyle Computing” and it amounts to three classes of notebooks: “Premium” laptops designed for image-conscious professionals who want performance and portability, “Mainstream” laptops featuring a wide variety of powerful configuration options and color choices, and “Essential” notebooks built to deliver all the basics at an affordable price.

All of the new ThinkPad Edge laptops are meant for small-to-medium business (SMB) users but that doesn’t mean you have to be stuck with a boring old PC. The new ThinkPad Edge S430 laptop doesn’t just look good, it packs the latest Intel Core processors and Thunderbolt technology. The ThinkPad Edge 11, 13, 14 and 15-inch laptops include new software like the Lenovo Solution Center which helps to solve common IT tasks (like remote management for energy savings and deploying updates) and also handles basic video and music entertainment needs.

ThinkPad Edge S430Believe it or not, it is possible to build an attractive, well-equipped laptop for professionals that doesn’t look like a MacBook. The new ThinkPad Edge S430 combines a thin and light laptop with metal accents and a soft-touch Mocha Black finish. The 14-inch laptop comes loaded with the top-of-the-line business features like the latest Intel Core processors, a DVD burner or a second hard drive for up to 1 TB of storage, your choice of Intel integrated graphics or Nvidia Optimus discrete graphics, Dolby Home Theatre v4, USB 3.0 ports and Intel Thunderbolt technology.

For those readers who aren’t aware of the Thunderbolt ports that first appeared on Apple MacBooks last year, Thunderbolt is a new high-speed port that lets you transfer a full-length HD movie in less than 30 seconds and backup a year of continuous MP3 playback in just over 10 minutes. The laptop also comes with Lenovo Solution Center.

ThinkPad Edge E130, E330, E430 and E530The new ThinkPad Edge 14-inch E430 and 15-inch E530 laptops also feature the latest Intel Core processors or AMD Fusion APUs (on the E435 and E535 models) with multiple choices of integrated or discrete graphics. The laptops also feature fast boot, up to 1 TB of storage that can be combined with solid state drive storage, USB 3.0 ports and a high resolution web camera. The laptop models with Intel Core processors also include Lenovo Solution Center. The smaller 11.6-inch ThinkPad Edge and 13.3-inch laptops give you similar features in a smaller, more travel-friendly package with the latest Intel Core processors on the E130 and E330 or AMD Vision Accelerated processors on the E135 and E335 laptops.

All of the “mainstream” ThinkPad Edge E-series laptops feature a graphite grey interior with choices of Midnight Black, Heatwave Red or Cobalt Blue lid covers. Also, all of the E-series notebooks share a similar design with the premium ThinkPad Edge S430 laptop.

Lenovo B480 and B580The Lenovo B-series laptops provide “essential” technologies for serious productivity and entertainment. Equipped with choices of the latest Intel Core processors (on the B480 and B580) or AMD Fusion APUs (on the B485 and B585 models) along with integrated or discrete graphics, these laptops have a starting price of just $349. Much like the ThinkPad Edge notebooks, you can equip the B-series with up to 1 TB of storage, USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI out port and 4-in-1 multicard reader. Intel-equipped systems come with Lenovo Solution Center.

Pricing and AvailabilityThe ThinkPad Edge E130/135, E330/335 and Lenovo B480/485, B580/585 Series laptops will be available only in select markets, while the ThinkPad Edge E430/435, E530/535 laptops will be available worldwide starting in April on www.lenovo.com. The ThinkPad Edge S430 laptop will be available in June in select markets. Pricing for models starts at approximately $399 for the ThinkPad Edge laptops, $349 for the Lenovo B-series laptops and $749 for the ThinkPad S430 laptop.